Eurohockey U18 Championship II-A, Zagreb

As President of the European Hockey Federation, it is my pleasure to welcome all the players, umpires, officials, media and fans to Croatia!

The last number of years have been challenging for teams, clubs and federations, so we commend the athletes and the team management, for maintaining high standards under hard circumstances.

Congratulations too to the hosts- Slaven and his team- for putting on a great event. They have worked closely with EHF staff who are very confident that it will be a top-level event.

We are in the middle of a very exciting outdoor season for us, with 10 events already done (in the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Gibraltar, Türkiye, Switzerland, Croatia, and Poland). This week sees 6 U18 Championship events across four countries and finally in July/August the EuroHockey Senior Championships. A busy, exciting time for EHF, hosts, teams and officials.

Tournaments could not take place without officials. Our volunteers are the backbone of the sport, and we appreciate them and the time they dedicate to our events. Thank you, all!

To all the players, I’d like to say: I wish you a successful and rewarding tournament. May this tournament be one highlight of a sterling career, and hopefully a big step forward for you and your team. Play fair, and do your team proud.

To all the players, I’d like to say: I wish you a successful and rewarding tournament. May this tournament be one highlight of a sterling career and long life in our hockey family! Play fair, and do your team proud.

To the fans, in this proud moment, we ask you to show your support and enthusiasm in the friendly and respectful way we expect of all hockey fans.

Enjoy!